Four fantail ray Taeniura melanospila (Bleeker 1853) measuring between 950 mm and 1800 mm

across the disc were recorded at Madras for the first time from the coastal waters of the Indian

subcontinent. A detailed description of the ray and morphometric measurements are given in the

text

Devadoss, P

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NOTES 217 A NEW RECORD OF FANTAIL RAY TAENIURA MELANOSPILA (BLEEKER, 1853) ABSTRACT Four fantail ray Taeniura melanospila (Bleeke^ 1853) measuring between 950 mm and 1800 mm across the disc were recorded at Madras for the first time from the coastal waters of the Indian subcontinent. A detailed description of the ray and morphometric measurements are given in the text. THE FANTAIL RAY Taeniura melanospila (Bleeker, 1853), has a distribution from East Africa, Madgascar and Red Sea to the East Indies. It is not so far recorded from the Indian waters. A female specimen, 950 mm across the disc was first recorded at Madras on 24, April 1986 from the catches of mechanised fishing traw-lers. Subsequently another specimen, a male measuring 1330 mm, was recorded from the hooks and line catch at the same place on 23-3-1987. Two more specimens, a male and a female, were observed on 16, April 1987 from the trawl catch of the same centre and they measured 1080 mm and 1800 mm respectively. This account is of interest to science as such information is reported for the first time in Indian waters. This species has a nearly circular disc. The dorsal side is bluish-grey mottled with a very large number of irregulaily arranged dark spots and blotches (PI. I) The ventral side is creamy white in colour Taeniura melanospila (Bleeker, 1853) (PI. I) Taeniura melanospilos Bleeker 1853 : 513 (Batavia). Taeniura melanospila : Smith 1952 a : 15 (flg.); 1952 b : 1020, pi. 38 ; 1955 :5 ; 1961 :513, flg. 78 a. Thorpe 1964 :27 (flg). Wallace 1967 :28, fig. 13. Snout with a very small apical projection. Disc almost circular 1.13 times wider than long. Eyes small with protective horny cover. Spiracles dorso-laterally situated, larger than eyes. A row of tubercles above branchial lines from the shoulder regions towards the outer edge of the disc and another as a median line above the vertebral column. Each tubercle has a circular base and a sharp conical point. Tail stout, relatively short, 0.9 times the length of disc (Table 1), with a sharp TABLE 1. Major morphometric measurements (in mm) of four numbers of Taeniura melanospila Characters Disc width length Tail length Snout to tail tip ,, anterior end of orbit ,, lower jaw ,, anterior end of cloaca Width of mouth Distance between orbits ,, ,, spiracles „ ,, inner ends of nostrils ,, „ First pair of gill slits fifth pair of gill slits Length ofclafpers Sex 1 950 840 770 1,610 178 183 709 86 85 174 149 220 142 — . . female 2 1,330 1,180 1,100 2,210 240 220 980 110 240 220 156 300 200 350 male 3 1,800 1,540 1,380 2,720 270 190 1,080 75 320 220 130 235 150 — female 4 1.080 960 970 1.840 200 175 800 70 180 195 120 230 150 200 male 218 NOTES serrated spine near its mid point. A black vential cutaneous fold from below the anterior end of the spine to the tip of the tail. The dorsal surface of the disc, fins and tail is covered with small stellate spinules which make it rough to the touch. Four large papille on the floor of the mouth; teeth in 36.45. 39-45 transverse rows. Remarks This ray was first recorded in 1853 in Batavia. Even though its occurrence was recorded from Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, CocA/«-682 031. REFERENCES BLEEKER, P . 1853. Nat. Tijds. Neder. Indie., 4 : 513. DAY, F . 1878 (1958). Fishes of India 1. William Dawsons and Ltd., 740. East Africa to East Indies, there is no authentic record available from the Indian Coast. Day (1878) had only expressed the possibility of its occurrence in our coastal waters. Fowler (1941) who had given a descriptive account of the sharks, skates and rays had not mentioned anything about the occurrence of this ray in Indian Coast. The author wishes to thank Shri C. Mukundan for critically going through the manuscript and offering valuable suggestions for the improvement of this paper ano toDr.M. D. K. Kuthalingam for the keen interest shown during the course of investigation. de Castro, (3), (1) : 5. P. DBVADOSS 1955. Memoiras do Museo. Dr. Alvaro 1961. Tlie sea fishes of South Africa. x» ,tr ,nA, n II rr c. . »x /,ftn^ 4th Edl South Afrfca, Central News Agency Ltd., FOWLER, H. W. 1941. Bull. U.S., nat. Mus., (l(Xi) no 67-73 13: 396-401. SMirH, J. L. B. 1952 a. 5. A. Angler, 7 (2): 15. THO'^^ ' T- 1964. Fid Tide, 6 (3): 27. 1952 b. Ann. Mag. nat., Hist., (12), WALLACE, J, H. 1967. S. African Ass. Mar. Biol. 5 :1020-1023. Res. Invest. Report, 16 : 28-31. 

A new record of fantail ray Taeniura melanospila (Bleeker, 1853)

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A new record of fantail ray Taeniura melanospila (Bleeker, 1853)

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